Monster Hunter World is fantastic, and the most recent expansion, Iceborne, makes it even better. But there have been a few snags, including some pretty ugly weapons and armor sets that lost their original look. An upcoming feature for creating cosmetic armor will make it easier for players to look however they want.
In a video today, Monster Hunter World’s developers outlined a few changes coming soon. The terrifying ape monster Rajang is on the horizon, and there will be changes to the Guiding Lands, Iceborne’s endgame zone. There will even be tempered monsters including the Gold version of Rathian and Silver version of Rathalos, the series’ flagship wyvern. But the most exciting feature, I think, was the ability to craft layered armor.
Layered armor is special cosmetic armor that has no stats but allows you to use that armor’s appearance while wearing whatever armor pieces you want underneath. It’s usually been limited to special quest rewards such as crossover events with Assassins’ Creed and The Witcher. In some cases, players were required to fight extra-difficult monsters to gain layered armor, as was the case with the tempered (read: very hard mode) Behemoth. That allowed players to unlock a set of dragoon armor from Final Fantasy XIV. Iceborne’s armor is pretty stylish, even if some of the weapons are ugly as hell. But they also have unique styles different from their lower-level counterparts. The new layered armor system would allow players to craft these sets and wear them without removing the stats of their Master Rank gear.
All of these updates are coming this week, including Rajang’s arrival tomorrow. While the new layered armor system won’t have every armor set to start, it’s a step in the right direction, giving players a feature they demanded for a long time. If you have a favorite early armor set but don’t want to ruin you carefully crafted high-rank gear, you’ll finally have a chance to look the way you want.